Wednesday, December 3, 2008

David John, a Los Angeles-based stylist who works his hair magic at the uber-chic Serge Normant at John Frieda Salon in West Hollywood, actually took some time out of his busy schedule to answer some questions for us!

Check out his fabulous responses...with some great tips for winter haircare...below!

1. What hair trends are you loving for winter on the West Coast?

The latest trends that I'm seeing in hair for winter are we are taking color down a notch and warming things up. I'm doing more richer cooler reds with amber highlights. Blondes are adding rich lowlights of caramel and chestnut while keeping their lightness.

Cuts are a bit cleaner. Still lots of texture but with more structure and geometric shape. Think long bobs and classic cuts with textured pieces in the interior and soft edges.

2. What are your top 5 must-have products for hair?

Five must haves:

1.Bumble and Bumble Curl Conscious Defining Creme ($27) gives definition and enhances curl2.Phyto Defrissant ($26) makes hair shiny and smooths frizz when blowdrying smooth3.Bumble and Bumble Sumo Tech ($23) is a sticky paste that gives texture and definition to shorter styles4.Shu Uemura Polishing Milk is a blow drying creme to smooth hair and is light5.Kerastase Serum Oleo Relax ($34) is a silicone based product to add shine and softness for blowdrying.5 minutes, 5 questions with david john by beauty in real life

3. For those of us out on the East Coast, the winter is killer on our strands. What can we do to combat this?

One of the best things you can do to protect your hair this winter is to give it a break. People tend to shampoo their hair way too much stripping it of all the natural oils.

Try shampooing hair less frequently. Rinse in the shower and use conditioner without shampoo once or twice a week. Also brush hair with a soft bristle brush distrbuting oils and stimulating scalp.

Also use a hair mask from Shu Uemura or Kerastase once a week and leave it in for half an hour.

Use a hot moist towel heated in the microwave over your mask to give it better penetration.A leave-in conditioner thru the ends before or after styling keeps the ends from splitting.

4. What's the most requested celeb cut in your salon?

The most requested celebrity haircuts right now are Gwenyth Paltrow and Anne Hathaway's long bobs, and Katie Holmes' short layered cut.

5. With the holidays approaching, can you give us some quick styles that will take us from work to party in seconds?

This holiday season you can go from daytime to party in no time with a few ideas. Run a large curling iron through the hair to give it a loose curl or wave. Part on the side and clip with a sparkly barrette.

Or put your hair back into a low ponytail. Make it interesting and pull it back more to one side and add a flower, barrette or sparkle with a broach at the base of the pony tail. Add a ribbon or a necklace as a headband and fasten under your hair in the back.

Put your hair up with ease. Make 3 ponytails in the back and tease and wrap hair loosely around each one and pin with a bobby pin or decorative

Honestly, he's too phenomenal for words.

The Serge Normant at John Freida Salon is located at 8440 Melrose Place in West Hollywood, CA. To make an appointment with David...call 323.653.4040.

Jennifer and Christineproud members of total beauty and the bbn networks